Military Council forces set fire to Taungpyatywarma village in Minhla Township, western Bago Region, following an early morning clash with local resistance forces, according to a source close to the anti-junta movement in the area.

The village, which is part of the Htaukkyant village tract in Tharyawaddy District, has become the latest target amid escalating tensions and daily skirmishes in Minhla since mid-June.

Fighting reportedly erupted around 4 am on 20 June when People’s Defense Forces launched an assault on junta troops stationed in Taungpyatywarma village. A resistance source from Minhla Township told Mizzima that the fighters underestimated the strength of the junta force.

“We thought they were weak and decided to launch an attack, but in reality, the junta had over 400 soldiers. The resistance fighters were completely surrounded – five were captured alive, two bodies were recovered, and initial reports indicate that 13 junta soldiers were killed,” the source said.

Casualties occurred on both sides, but the exact toll remains unconfirmed as Mizzima continues to verify the information.

By 1 pm the same day, junta forces reportedly began setting fire to homes in Taungpyatywarma village, in what appears to be a retaliatory act.

A local source said the fires were spreading rapidly and noted, “I don’t know if the rain will help put out the fire.”

This incident comes amid a series of ongoing confrontations in Minhla Township. On 18 June, the underground guerrilla unit of the 3802 Battalion, 4th Company in Okpho, together with the Minhla Township People’s Defense Force, carried out a landmine attack on junta soldiers traveling on motorcycles near the entrance to Gindeikkone village on the Yangon–Pyay Road.

According to the joint forces, one policeman was killed and two others injured in the blast.

Two days earlier, on 16 June, the Revolutionary Joint Forces attacked the junta camp at the Sitkwin Tasone checkpoint, located at a key intersection in Minhla Township.

The half-hour firefight reportedly resulted in around 20 junta casualties, including four Military Council officers.

On the same day, combined resistance forces ambushed junta troops advancing toward Sinaingchaungpauk village and also intercepted a military vehicle carrying 25 soldiers near Shantaw village.

As of now, the situation in Minhla remains tense, with resistance forces vowing to continue operations while local communities brace for further violence and displacement.